“I thought we needed someone who would be more assertive and tough, so I could be softer. He [Casey] is not that way.” JOHN CALIPARI

Fired coach John Calipari took the highest road regarding Nets’ ownership yesterday during a 35-minute WFAN interview but got in a few tweaks along the way, including a shot at interim coach Don Casey, wondering whether he will be “tough” enough in dealing with NBA players.

Calipari acknowledged that Casey, his top assistant, was nearly headed to Detroit over the summer and he encouraged the move. Calipari, in fact, said he was considering bringing in a new assistant for this season because he didn’t think the 61-year-old Casey was tart enough with the players. Calipari said he didn’t feel “comfortable” pulling the trigger.

“I thought we needed someone who would be more assertive and tough, so I could be softer,” Calipari said. “He’s not that way.” But Calipari added “I wish him well and I want him to win.”

When Casey learned of Calipari’s remark before making his Meadowlands coaching debut against Dallas last night, he defended his coaching style.

“I was in charge of the fines, so that didn’t make me most popular,” Casey said. “I think you can be demanding, but that doesn’t mean you have to be confrontational or in your face. I don’t want to be scolding at this stage. I think other things are needed. You get to 60 and 61, you think reason can prevail.”

While new Nets star guard Stephon Marbury spent the pregame campaigning for the Nets to hire Phil Jackson, Casey said he had no illusions that he has a chance to be named the permanent head coach at season’s end.

“I’m fully aware of the word interim,” said Casey, whose Nets’ head-coaching debut was a disgusting 100-85 loss in Toronto. “Perish the thought. I’m not even there. I don’t think it’s right to be there.”

Calipari also took a couple of nips at two of the Nets’ budding young stars, Keith Van Horn and Kerry Kittles, indicating that neither should be expected to be locker-room leaders.

“[Keith’s] not the guy in the locker room that’s going to get in someone’s face,” Calipari said. “Marbury’s going to have to do that because it’s not in Kerry’s personality to do that either.”

During the interview, Calipari came off as anything but bitter at last Sunday’s firing, a spiel that has everything to do with the $6 million and two years left on his contract that the owners will pay him in full.

“We went 3-17 and I think that’s reason for a firing,” Calipari said. “They just bought the team. They spent $150 million. I understood. I wasn’t happy. I wanted to stay and finish the job, but we were 3-17. We didn’t win.”

Calipari still got in his self-promoting moments, saying he is at least satisfied he turned around the Nets’ “losing culture.” He believes those high expectations doomed him.

“On a normal Nets’ season (3-17) is nothing, but what happened is we come in two years ago and talk about changing a losing culture and not accepting second-class status to the team across the river. We didn’t do that.

“We get to the playoffs last year. We create excitement. We changed the persona of the Nets. It became a chic thing to be in the front row at the Nets and all of a sudden the expectations go through the roof.

“I will say this: did we change the culture of New Jersey? I do not apologize. New Jersey is better off than when I came.”

Calipari also added, “If I stayed, I’m convinced we would’ve turned it around.”

Calipari said he is not pursuing any job and isn’t sure if he’ll pursue the NBA in the future.